ISTANBUL

Moldova on Thursday announced that it will hold the country’s next parliamentary elections on Sept. 28.

The decision on the date of the elections, which was initiated by deputies from the country’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), was made at a parliamentary session in which 57 lawmakers voted in support while 32 others abstained. The parliament has 101 seats.

A statement by parliament said the draft decision “ensures compliance with the legal deadlines in order to hold the elections in a democratic, transparent, and efficient framework.”

“This decision enters into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette,” lawmaker Veronica Rosca said, according to Moldovan state news agency Moldpres.